GuySuCo should practice what it preaches
Dear Editor, The Senior Communications Officer of GuySuCo proffered several arguments ranging from lack of scientific perspectives to the changing shape of the economy in a longwinded response to Hydar Ally’s take on the sugar industry that was published on November 12. These are all very sound arguments and concepts however, one wonders whether this Officer is aware of what goes on in GuySuCo, her employer. I say this because every day we hear that GuySuCo is bankrupt and labour cost is too high yet, the company in its employment drive from May 2015 to now could afford the following:
Job Title
Est Monthly Salary (G$)
CEO (Interim Management)
4,000,000
Finance Director (Interim Management)
2,500,000
HR Director
1,200,000
Engineer Consultant (Ex-CoI member)
900,000
Project Consultant (Ex-CoI member)
900,000
Agri Consultant (Ex-CoI member)
1,000,000
General Manager – Technical
800,000
Operations Engineer Manager
800,000
Technical Process Manager (Ex-CoI member)
800,000
TOTAL
12,900,000
These estimations are conservative as additional allowances, facilities and benefits are not included. GuySuCo may wish to correct these figures which will be an upward adjustment. From this, the following should be noted:
(1) GuySuCo is not in financial troubles. Reason being, it could afford to pay nine persons a total of G$12.9M per month, including very recent hires. This fits perfectly in Thomas’ apex of the triangle economy. The average cane harvester, shoveller, weeder, factory worker, officer worker, etc, languishes at the base of the triangle.
(2) Taxpayer’s monies are used to pay all workers including the CEO’s salary of $4M/month and Finance Director’s salary of $2.5M/month.
(3) New hires can receive a salary package of hundreds of thousands of dollars but the average sugar worker cannot receive a 1% salary increase.
(4) Will GuySuCo ever receive value for monies paid out to these nine persons? All nine persons are in their very senior years and effective work would be just 4hrs/day at best.
Adrainna Thomas should ensure GuySuCo practices what it preaches about lowering cost, reducing labour cost, developing a resilient business, etc, before attempting to lecture others. The principles being advanced by the corporation do not coincide with its actions.
Yours sincerely, Sookram Persaud
